


Love is Not Possession, Love is Compassion

by 6Space_Witch9



Series: Uno-Reverso-Verse [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Dreams and Nightmares, Gen, Healthy Conversations, Healthy Relationships, Honesty, Jedi Maul (Star Wars), Master & Padawan Relationship(s), Padawan Anakin Skywalker, Post-Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Shmi Skywalker Lives, Sith Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Force
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:07:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28429776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/6Space_Witch9/pseuds/6Space_Witch9
Summary: “Master Opress…Do you ever miss Qui-Gon?” Anakin whispers so quietly his words are almost lost to the darkness of the room. There’s a pause and he can hear the bare whisper of a sniffle.The boy continues to stare out at the stars through the window in their shared room and he doesn’t even need to brush against his mind to know what the issue is.ORMaul wakes in the middle of the night to Anakin struggling to handle a nightmare.He reflects on what he must teach the boy before he can become a Jedi and he teaches Anakin the power of letting go.
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Shmi Skywalker, Darth Maul & Anakin Skywalker, Qui-Gon Jinn & Darth Maul
Series: Uno-Reverso-Verse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2082363
Comments: 16
Kudos: 53





	Love is Not Possession, Love is Compassion

**Author's Note:**

> Uno-Reverso Universe where Master Fay finds Maul before Sidious does and thus changes the course of history.

The Temple is quiet, peaceful, it’s late in the night where the Force is merely a sleepy lull, he should be asleep as well, but something has woken him. Not abruptly or suddenly, but just enough of a consistent pressure from the Force that brushes against his mind to tell him that something is not right.

Or in this case, someone.

“Anakin, whatever is the matter?” Maul asks as he tilts his head to the bed where his padawan lays. He can tell the boy has been awake for some time even if he’s trying to pretend to be deeply asleep. While his acting may be good, Maul can feel the anxious energy coming off the boy in waves.

In the 6 months that the boy has been under his care he’s had more than a few nightmares, something Maul knew was bound to happen but was unsure if he was equipped to handle. People didn’t tend to think he was the most nurturing of Jedi. Growing up in the Temple as the lone Nightbrother…Had been a challenge, he already had his tattoos by the time Master Fay had found him, people who do not understand the significance of the black ink on his skin became wary of it.

An initiate in his class had once told him he was more likely to create nightmares than make dreams come true, he had believed him at the time. He had been ferocious-looking, even as a gangly child with his horns and gold Dathomirian eyes, even as he knew he wasn’t a monster the words still cut deep.

Qui-Gon taught him differently, self-acceptance had been an uphill battle, but his Master never gave up on him, never made him feel like the monster he had always been expected to be.

“Master Opress…Do you ever miss Qui-Gon?” Anakin whispers so quietly his words are almost lost to the darkness of the room. There’s a pause and he can hear the bare whisper of a sniffle.

The boy continues to stare out at the stars through the window in their shared room and he doesn’t even need to brush against his mind to know what the issue is.

He flicks on his lamp and it washes his room in a soft yellow glow.

“All the time.” He answers truthfully, there is no point in keeping secrets from his padawan.

“Come Anakin, tell me what is making you so upset.” Maul says softly as he levers himself into a sitting position and the young boy doesn’t hesitate to throw himself into Maul’s chest. He brushes Anakin’s long blonde hair away from his face as the strands skew every which way, also sticking to his tacky, tear-stained cheeks.

He would need a haircut soon.

“I miss my mom. I keep on having bad dreams that someone is going to hurt her.” Anakin says as he tries to bury himself deeper into his red and black skin.

“Dreams can always be just dreams, but even if they mean nothing they can be scary, it is okay to be afraid sometimes when you have a bad one. But the Force sometimes tries to tell us things through our dreams and it can be scary when you don’t understand what is trying to say. I know we left your mother on Tatooine, but she is free and lives with Owen and Cliegg, Watto will never hurt her again.” Maul reminds his young charge as he rubs his back.

“I know! It’s just…Watto isn’t in my dream, the people in the shadows steal her from her home and I try to save her, but I never make it in time!” Anakin replies, looking up at him with watery blue eyes.

Maul sighs and hugs the boy tighter.

Attachments, if untreated lead to possessive behaviours, which leads to obsession, to jealously, to hate, to the Darkside. But…Attachments if founded in compassion and respect could lead to a Jedi being better.

He has dedicated his life to compassion and respect and he will teach the exact same thing to his padawan.

A padawan who is afraid, who is far from home and thrust into a world where he has to learn everything all over again.

He knows leaving Tatooine couldn’t have been easy and he’s endlessly proud of Anakin for coming with them. But even he gets homesick for Dathomir, a place that doesn’t always elicit the best memories. But bad associations aside he knows travelling back to Tatooine to see his mother again will be good for the boy.

Letting the fear and nightmares fester within the child will only grow his fear and hate for the Force, he’s seen what those kinds of emotions to people.

He shivers at the thought of the red-haired Sith.

Some Jedi may not approve of his methods but they are not Anakin Skywalker’s Master, he will do whatever is best for his Padawan even if he has to bend some rules to do it.

“How about we go back to Tatooine for a visit? You’ve learned a lot since your time here I’m sure your mother would love to see you again.” Maul asks and Anakin who has been sucking up his body heat like a Trandoshan on a cold day jumps back to look at him with a hopeful expression on his face.

“Really? We could really go back and visit?....But….What if we go back and I’m not strong enough to leave again?” Anakin asks desperately and his fear is stark and harsh in the Force.

Anakin only needs to hear one thing.

“Anakin, you were strong enough to leave once, you will be strong enough to leave again. Your mother knows that letting you go would be the best thing she could ever do for you, and I know you make her proud every day but if you love her you must do the same and respect her choices. You cannot possess people in your life but merely exist with them on your paths through life.” Maul explains.

“Do understand padawan?” Maul asks the young boy.

“I understand Master, I will be ready to leave my mother behind again. I’m a Jedi now.” Anakin says with a shy smile, there’s still a tinge of sadness in his Force signature but in time it will fade, hopefully, it will not be replaced with anger.

“I am very proud of you Anakin, you understand my lessons well.” Maul says with a smile and Anakin brightens like a star.

“Master, could I…Maybe sleep with you tonight?” Anakin asks haltingly.

He's slightly stunned by the request as he had been adamant about sleeping in his own bed up until this point, but he isn't going to deny his padawan the simple and much-needed comfort.

“Of course, now grab your blanket, it’s time to sleep now, we’ll have to leave early if we’re going to leave for Tatooine tomorrow morning.” Maul says and he hides his smile when Anakin gasps excitedly and scrambles over to his bed to drag his blanket over to his larger one.

A bit of shuffling and a kick his left kidney later Anakin is sound asleep, wrapped around his back like a hiking pack with his little hands grasping his waist.

Anakin has never been the chosen one to him, merely a boy looking for guidance in a confusing and terrifying galaxy, he just hopes his teaching will do the child justice.

**Author's Note:**

> Tell me what you think! <3


End file.
